Those first made out at Port Essington, were found to be half Malay words, and of any meaning rather than what they were supposed to convey.

The words given below are from Mr.Earl's vocabulary, the result of four years careful examination and experience.
COLUMN 1: ENGLISH.
COLUMN 2: SHOAL BAY.
COLUMN 3: PORT DARWIN.
COLUMN 4: PORT ESSINGTON.
COLUMN 5: SWAN RIVER.
Crab : Algaura : - : Meir : -.
Dog : Melinga : - : Mugki : Dudah.
Ear : Bangua : - : Alayjar : Zungah.
Eye : Ummera : Mical : Ira : Mael.
Hair : Brailma : Guarshiel : Angbal : Cutap.
Hand : - : Guian : - : -.
Stone : - : Lowheil : - : -.
Tree : Urmingua : - : Ojalli : Boono.
Teeth : Emburge : - : Aujije : Nalgo.
Water : - : Kararback : - : Kaaby.
DIFFICULTY OF UNDERSTANDING THE NATIVES.
The great difference between the words at Shoal Bay and Port Darwin, must now be apparent to the reader; a more extended acquaintance with the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, has shown that many words put down by us as meaning a certain thing, signify in reality, "What do you mean ?" "I do not understand"-- which shows at once the great difficulty of arriving at the truth.

This must often be the case; for what is more natural, than that when a savage is asked the meaning of a thing, and knows not, but that he should express his ignorance?
How often this expression of ignorance has been registered as the denomination of some animal or thing, we leave the reader to conjecture.

Moreover, there are many words totally obliterated from their dialects, which thus undergo constant alteration.

This in part arises from the circumstance of their never mentioning the name of a deceased person, who has perhaps been called after a tree, bird, or animal; which then receives another appellation, the old one passing away.